Aliso Canyon Maximum Storage Level Increase: 8/31/23 Vote by CPUC

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a Proposed Decision that increases the maximum storage level allowed at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility from 41.16 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to 68.6 Bcf on an interim basis to help secure energy reliability and protect against high natural gas and electric prices. The proposal will be on the CPUC’s August 31 Voting Meeting agenda.

The Proposed Decision is part of the Aliso Canyon Investigation (I.17-02-002), which was opened to determine the feasibility of reducing or eliminating use of the facility while preserving energy reliability and just and reasonable rates. The Proposed Decision will not impact progress in the proceeding towards phasing out the need for Aliso Canyon.

In previous decisions, the CPUC has set limits on the amount of working natural gas stored
in Aliso Canyon. Aliso Canyon Well Failure

CALL IN TO THE CPUC MEETING
Thursday, August 31st - 11AM - 1PM.
CALL IN NUMBER: 1-800-857-1917
PASSCODE: 9899501#

• You should hear a prompt to press *1 (star one). After you do that, you should be asked for your name.
• After the commissioners give their announcements, they’ll go to public comments.
• When you hear your name, YOU ARE LIVE and can start talking. You will have ONE MINUTE ONLY.
• Give your name, and begin your comments

A suggestion from people nearest Aliso Canyon has been:

• SAY FIRST that you’re AGAINST any increase of gas at Aliso Canyon. AND say you want the commission to vote YES on the STAFF PROPOSAL to close Aliso by 2027 at the latest.

Note: There is no mention of a closure of Aliso Canyon in the CPUC Proposed Decision to Protect Against Natural Gas Price Spikes in Southern California (I.17-02-002) ac-storage-level-pd-0722823.pdf (ca.gov)

Summer 2023 Southern California Gas Reliability Assessment
BY STAFF OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION July 12, 2023

socalgas_summer_reliability_2023_daily_stochastic_mass_balance_final.pdf

 Background

• Natural gas storage is typically filled during lower-demand, lower-price times of the year and used when demand and prices are high. As such, storage serves as insurance against high or volatile natural gas prices.
• In previous decisions, the CPUC has set limits on the amount of working natural gas stored
  in Aliso Canyon.
  • In 2020, the Aliso Canyon maximum inventory was set at 34 Bcf.
  • In 2021, the CPUC increased the storage limit at Aliso Canyon to 41.16 Bcf. CPUC
    Decision 21-11-008 (pages 14-15) explained that outages on Line 3000 and Line
    4000 restricted the amount of natural gas that could be injected into the storage
    fields, and it was unlikely SoCalGas could increase the inventory at Aliso Canyon
    beyond 41.16 Bcf before winter.
•  The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) sets a maximum safe
  pressure for each natural gas storage field in California, which corresponds to a maximum
  storage level of 68.6 Bcf for Aliso Canyon. After the Aliso Canyon leak, CalGEM reduced
  the Aliso Canyon safe inventory limit from 86 Bcf to 68.6 Bcf
  

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